Juan Manuel Olivera

Juan Manuel Olivera
Olivera with Peñarol in 2011
Personal information
Full name Juan Manuel Olivera López
Date of birth (1981-08-14) 14 August 1981
Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position Striker
Youth career
Danubio
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2004 Danubio 109 (39)
2004 → San Lorenzo (loan) 13 (5)
2005 Cruz Azul 2 (2)
2005 → U. de Chile (loan) 21 (9)
2006 Danubio 18 (1)
2006 Suwon Bluewings 14 (7)
2007 Shaanxi Baorong 21 (3)
2008 Libertad 23 (5)
2009–2010 Universidad de Chile 42 (37)
2010 Al-Shabab 9 (4)
2011 Peñarol 11 (5)
2011–2012 Al Wasl 20 (13)
2012–2015 Peñarol 38 (19)
2013 → Náutico (loan) 21 (2)
2014 → Estudiantes LP (loan) 13 (2)
2015–2017 Danubio 57 (18)
2017–2021 River Plate Montevideo 86 (18)
2021 Danubio 15 (1)
Total 533 (190)
Managerial career
2022–2023 Peñarol (youth)
2023 Peñarol (interim)
2023 Peñarol (interim)
2025 Danubio
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Juan Manuel Olivera López (born 14 August 1981) is a Uruguayan former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward.

During a career spanning two decades, he played in Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, South Korea, China, Chile, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil and Paraguay. He is particularly associated with Danubio and Peñarol in Uruguay and Universidad de Chile in Chile.[1]

Club career

Olivera began his professional career with Danubio in 2001. His performances in Uruguay led to a move to Argentine club San Lorenzo in 2004, followed by spells abroad with Mexico's Cruz Azul, South Korean club Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Chinese side Shaanxi Chanba.[1]

He returned to Uruguay to play for Danubio and later joined Paraguayan club Libertad. In 2008, Olivera signed for Peñarol, where he enjoyed a prolific spell, scoring 17 goals during the 2008–09 Uruguayan Primera División season.[2]

In July 2009, Olivera moved to Chile and signed a three-year contract with Universidad de Chile, which had recently won the Apertura championship.[2] He made an immediate impact, scoring on his league debut in a 3–1 victory over Cobresal.[3] He also scored twice against Deportivo Cali in the 2009 Copa Sudamericana, helping Universidad de Chile advance to the round of 16.[4]

Olivera remained one of Universidad de Chile's principal attacking players during 2010. In the 2010 Copa Libertadores, he scored against Caracas in the group stage,[5] and later played a decisive role in the quarter-final against Flamengo. In the first leg at the Maracanã, Olivera scored Universidad de Chile's third goal in a 3–2 away victory.[6] In the return match in Santiago, he scored from long range in a 2–1 defeat, a goal that proved decisive as Universidad de Chile advanced on away goals to its first Copa Libertadores semi-final since 1996.[7]

His performances attracted interest from clubs abroad, and in June 2010 Universidad de Chile agreed to transfer him to Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab.[8] He later played for Al-Wasl in the United Arab Emirates before returning to Peñarol in 2012.[1]

Olivera returned to Chile in 2013 to join Náutico Capibaribe in Brazil before signing for Peñarol again. He subsequently had another spell abroad with Paraguayan club Olimpia.[1]

In 2015, Olivera returned to Danubio, beginning the final and longest continuous spell of his career. He remained with the club until 2017, then spent the 2017 season with River Plate Montevideo before rejoining Danubio in 2018.[1] In October 2019, he scored the 100th goal of his Uruguayan Primera División career in a match against Nacional.[9]

Olivera played his final professional match for Danubio in December 2021 and retired at the age of 40. He ended his career with 557 official appearances and 219 goals, according to figures published at the time of his retirement.[1]

Honours

Player

Universidad de Chile

Manager

Peñarol U20

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Juan Manuel Olivera le puso punto final a una carrera de 20 años". El País (in Spanish). 6 December 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Juan Manuel Olivera se convirtió en el nuevo refuerzo de Universidad de Chile". Emol (in Spanish). 14 July 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "Universidad de Chile comenzó el Clausura con una sólida victoria sobre Cobresal". Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). 19 July 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Universidad de Chile derrotó a Deportivo Cali y avanzó en la Copa Sudamericana". Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). 18 August 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Universidad de Chile venció a Caracas y quedó como líder exclusivo de su grupo". Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). 9 March 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Universidad de Chile silenció el Maracaná y quedó a un paso de semifinales". Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). 12 May 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "Universidad de Chile perdió con Flamengo, pero avanzó a semifinales de Copa Libertadores". Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). 20 May 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Universidad de Chile confirmó traspaso de Juan Manuel Olivera al Al Shabab". Emol (in Spanish). 9 June 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Juan Manuel Olivera llegó a los 100 goles en el Campeonato Uruguayo". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 August 2026.
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